what do you think is a fair win for a pk 4 wager??
 

My wife and i were sitting here watching tvg this weekend and the topic of how much the pk 4 tickets were paying mainly at keenland since we live in l'ville. The payoffs seemed to be really good on the pk 4's and seh was like why dont you ever win one of those. ha ha. My ? is if u play a pk 4 what price do you need to have when you win? are you looking for at least 10-1 on your money? Dissapointed when it pays only 4-1? i mean everyone would love to win $8000 on a $50 dollar ticket but in reality what is fair value from you guys/gals on the board? I mean if your ticket costs $100 pk4 and you win what does the dollar amount need to be to feel like you did a good job?

Between 15/20-1.

Let me rephrase that. With the state of my handicapping at the moment, I will take anything.:rolleyes:

I think I can't really put an "odds return" on it per se, because the sequence and using several horses in a race dictates it.

Ie, if I'm live in the last leg to a 6-5 horse, an 8-1 horse, and a 30-1 horse, I think it's fair for the pick-4 to return $500 on the favorite if he wins and my 30-1 horse runs second, who would have paid $4500 on the wager.

While I'd generally like to see in the 12-1 to 15-1 range, sometimes the sequence goes chalky, and a 4-1 return is fine because the money invested gave me a chance at some longer priced horses within the sequence, and those are the horses that can wind up returning the 100-1 payoff.

Good question. When I was actively playing Picks 4's on the weekends (not cashing mind you but playing:confused: ) I played them wrong. Next year, 2010, after I get relocated to Florida and settled, this is how I am gonna attack this wager.

I'm not lookin for this sequence of winners
2-1
3/5
4-1
3-1

I'm lookin for this sequence of winners
2-1
15-1
4-1
3-1

When I can eliminate that horse that will chalk it up to nothing, that 3/5, thats when I cash.

Long time coming. The last Pick 4 I cashed that was worth anything was the Spring meet at KEE this year for $500 on a 50 cent ticket.

Dude,a good pick 4 ticket is one you don't have to throw on the ground!!!

One things for sure, this meet at KEE has paid very well on the 50 cent pk4's. If you are hot with your picks and you have to go deep in your bankroll to get winners, you arent at much risk with the great payoffs. Regardless, you have to come up with winners to cash.

Your lucky she doesn't want you to play stuff for her. For me, it's a minimum of 10 x investment. I don't usually do this (put all my money into one bet,) but the payoff target is the same.

And you know there is a lot to be said for this strategy, really is. Lets say you just focus on a sequence of races every Saturday at one track. You hammer it every Saturday for the meet, lets use Saratoga as an example since it is a 6 week meet. So, you bet a Pick 4 lets say 7 times over the course of the meet, gotta give it a try on a day other then Saturday once;)

With your thinking and betting strategy, when you hit you will not only cash but you will cover your losses. So, I guess the key is to hit at least one time in ten tries otherwise you will be in the negative.

I know guys that bet only to win and pick their spots, same deal. They don't play no 2-1, they snag their 9/2 and higher cause when they hit it matters.

Good stuff and this kinda thread gets me motivated to 2010 and my hopes for a better year at the windows!

good one,lol!